Cleaning
Apart from research, walking is my most self-transformative activity. Yet another self-transformative activity is cleaning. In our society, efficiency is emphasised, and technological aids such as vacuum cleaners and dishwashers have been normalised. When I lived in England, I had to use a vacuum cleaner because the carpets were attached to the floor (this is very common), and I could not think of any other way to clean them. When I lived in Sweden, the apartment came with a vacuum cleaner. The apartment was very small, and I normally used a brush and a mop which also came with the apartment. I used the vacuum cleaner only on a few occasions. Here in Finland, the apartment was completely new, and it is up to me which cleaning supplies I live with. I decided not to have a vacuum cleaner for many reasons. It uses energy in addition to all the energy and materials that were used for it to be produced in the first place. I do not enjoy the sound vacuum cleaners make, and I don't want to speed up the process of cleaning the space where I dwell. I want to take my time and enjoy the process. Cleaning is a humbling activity and encourages movement. The apartment is very small, so it doesn't take very long to clean it. It's one of the reasons why I would not want to live in a bigger apartment: even though I enjoy cleaning, it could begin to feel like a chore or a service to material objects. Moreover, since I live without any furniture, there are no surfaces to clean apart from the floor. Unfortunately, I could not find a brush made from natural materials. The one I have is made from recycled plastic by a Finnish company. The cloths I use for the floor are made from cellulose and cotton. Some use old clothing for this, but I didn't want to retire any of my clothing to make cloths. I don't use any other special products for the floor, only water. I notice that living with very few items and without any furniture results in very little dust.
When I was young, part of the cleaning routine at my family home was putting various items where they, apparently, belonged. Reducing the number of items was never on the agenda. I still put objects away but it only takes a few seconds. For storage I use cotton bags which I also use for many other purposes. In the photo above, there is the only cotton bag that is usually on the floor. I use it to keep all the cables from my electronics in one place, sometimes also for other items (my phone or a tin of shea butter, for example).